Pacific Science Center

Bringing science to life.

PacSci-Doku: “Mondo Battery”

By Dennis Schatz – Senior Advisor

Do you Sudoku? It’s one of the hottest number games around! Well, here’s a twist we think you’ll love. We call it PacSci-Doku. Can you guess why? Here’s how it works. Instead of filling in the blanks with numbers, we use letters. Hidden in one of the columns or rows is the answer to a science question. You’ll find information about the answer on the answer tab below.

The question in this edition is:

What may become the world’s largest battery?

To find the answer, complete this PacSci-Doku using the following nine letters:

O o E A R V D H M

The Puzzle

Puzzle Difficulty: Easy

The Answer

The question in this edition is:

What may become the world’s largest battery?

The answer: Hoover Dam

When most people think of a battery, what comes to mind is the battery in your TV remote, cell phone or car. But a battery is any device that stores energy for later use. This is what the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power proposes to do with Hoover Dam. The plan is to build a pumping station below the dam that is powered by excess electricity generated by wind and solar power sources when electricity demand is low and wind/solar generation is high. The electricity would power pumps to return water to the Lake Meade behind the dam that would later generate electricity as the water again falls through the generators connected to the dam. Read more about this innovative idea for generating more “clean” electricity.